This Is Almost a Miracle | The Epictetus Lesson Kyle Carpenter Lives By
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Why does the host describe this episode as a “miracle” and what does that mean for listeners?
Welcome to the Daily Stoic Podcast, designed to help bring those four key Stoic virtues, courage, discipline, justice, and wisdom into the real world. This is almost a miracle, and too many people refuse to take advantage of it. It should not exist. It should not have survived. It was not intended for publication. It's totally and utterly unprecedented, as we have said many times. Marcus Aurelius' meditations is the unguarded private thoughts the most powerful man in the world. In its pages, we have the philosophical insights and wisdom of someone who lived through a plague, lived through wars, lived through famine, lived through floods, lived through health issues. one thing after another. And somehow this wisdom has proven not just relatable, but essential for people, for people like us for thousands of years.
But there's another wrinkle that makes this whole thing even more remarkable. Meditations would not have been possible without another book that should also not exist, that should not have survived, whose lessons were not intended for publication. Epictetus' Discourses. The teachings of a person who wasn't even given a real name, Epictetus means acquired one, a person born a slave who spent decades of his life being tortured, a man who was later unjustly exiled, who didn't even write down his own work, not only survived but But his teachings made their way to a young Marcus Aurelius, who even more improbably read them and put them to use. How does the thinking of one of the most powerless people in human history come to shape the thinking and the life of one of the most powerful people in history?
It's a question we should want to know the answer to. Because here in two of the most incredible books ever written, we are presented with all the wisdom necessary to live the good life, with everything we need to know to deal with the difficulties of life. Epictetus' work changed Marcus Aurelius' life.
How did Epictetus’ Discourses survive despite being written by a former slave?
Both of them have changed my life. Both of them will change your life if you let them. That's why here in August, Daily Stoic is doing a deep dive into Epictetus. We're diving into discourses. We're diving into the Incaridian, not just to read them, but to put Epictetus' teachings into practice. We've created this awesome guide, How to Read Epictetus. It's a 14-module companion to his works. We've got videos, we've got context, we've got prompts, we've got exercises designed to help you make those teachings stick. So whether you're new to Stoicism or you've read Meditations a dozen times, maybe you've even read Epictetus already, this will help deepen that understanding of that philosophy, challenge how you live it.
And if you join us this month with our guide, you not only can get the books as part of that, But you can join me. We're going to be doing a live session with thousands of Stokes all over the world to dive into the teachings of Epictetus. I hope to see you there. As I said, his work changed my life. I think it'll change your life. I can't wait to see you in there. Just go to dailystoic.com slash Epictetus to find out more and we'll get into it. Talk soon.
One of the things I think the internet has shown us is that you got to directly connect with the people that you're trying to reach. You want as few intermediaries and as few sort of artificial blocks between you and what you're trying to do or what you're trying to say or who you're trying to reach as possible, right?
What is the connection between Epictetus’ teachings and Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations?
You want those one-on-one interactions. And I don't know if you've seen this app, Whatnot, but it's live shopping. So sellers have direct access to their customers in real time, where people are seeing your face and not a website, not a logo. Whatnot is the largest dedicated live shopping platform, beauty, collectibles, electronics, luxury, fashion, even cookies. People who sell those things are building real thriving businesses on whatnot. Anyone can sell, whether your business is big or small, just starting. And people selling on whatnot sell 10 times more than on other major marketplaces.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Why does the host describe this episode as a “miracle” and what does that mean for listeners?
0:00–2:15
2
How did Epictetus’ Discourses survive despite being written by a former slave?
2:15–3:51
3
What is the connection between Epictetus’ teachings and Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations?
3:51–5:23
4
How does the Daily Stoic “How to Read Epictetus” guide help people apply Stoic philosophy?
5:23–6:53
5
What are the two “handles” Epictetus describes for interpreting life’s events?
6:53–8:37
6
How did Kyle Carpenter use Epictetus’ lesson to survive his injuries and recovery?
8:37–9:54
7
Why does the host compare Kyle’s journey to Admiral Stockdale’s story of perseverance?
9:54–11:48
8
How does physical training serve as a metaphor for embracing life’s struggles?
11:48–14:08
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from The Daily Stoic
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